Princess Viana's entourage moved in a line. A luxurious carriage carried the Princess along with her personal maid, Sina, while another less ornate carriage followed, loaded with her belongings and the gifts given by the Emperor.
Reyes and Joel rode on either side of the Princess's carriage, while the other knights positioned themselves at the front and rear of the procession.
Throughout the journey, Viana drifted into thought, reflecting on the Prince's earlier behavior toward her.
'Why did he suddenly change, when before he was so sweet to me when he welcomed me? And the Love Percentage bar still hasn't appeared.'
She thought hard but couldn't figure out the reason. Then, as she unintentionally glanced at Reyes, riding gallantly on the left side of her carriage, scenes of the Prince glaring at his Royal Guard surfaced in her mind.
'Could it really be because of Reyes? But he's just a Royal Guard.'
She turned again, looking out the other side of the carriage window, where Joel rode just as impressively on the right side.
Both of her Royal Guards were undeniably handsome. They both had brown hair and eyes, but their appearances and features set them apart.
Reyes had soft facial features, calm and serene eyes, and a lean yet athletic build. He didn't speak much, but that only added to his charm.
Meanwhile, Joel had a sharper jawline, a more mature appearance, and a slightly taller, more muscular build. His demeanor was rougher and came off as never being serious, but overall, he exuded a distinctly manly aura.
But the Prince himself had blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and noble facial features that could make any woman swoon. Except for Viana, of course.
While she was still dwelling on the matter, she faintly heard Sina chattering away as usual.
"... The Royal Hunting Event will surely be lively," Sina said while busy folding a piece of fabric into small, elongated shapes. She didn't want to be bored during the carriage ride, she explained, so she was preparing materials to make a gown for her beloved Princess.
'The Royal Hunting Event!'
Viana nearly jumped out of her seat, remembering the annual event hosted by the Elysia Kingdom. She had been tasked with organizing everything for the occasion.
She had been so consumed by the issue of the slave trade that she had entirely forgotten about the upcoming event, set to take place as summer neared its end.
Now, her thoughts shifted to preparing for the event, allowing the matter of Prince Rayne to momentarily slip from her mind.
***
Meanwhile, as the entourage passed along a narrow path before entering the forest, two riders on horseback, cloaked in dark hoods with their faces covered and dressed as knights of Elysia, silently joined the group.
Joel, catching sight of the two cloaked knights from the corner of his eye, subtly signaled to Reyes when their view wasn't blocked by the Princess's carriage.
Reyes nodded in response to Joel's signal, and both returned to their positions as if nothing had happened.
***
The procession moved in unison until they reached the forest edge, marking the border between Valendale and Elysia. The forest was eerily quiet, with only the occasional sound of rustling winds and chirping birds breaking the silence.
The scent of the spring forest, warm and fragrant, combined with the rhythmic clatter of hooves and the creaking of the carriage wheels, began to lull everyone into drowsiness, particularly Viana and Sina inside the carriage.
Suddenly, all the reins were pulled as the knights at the very front, acting as scouts, signaled everyone to stop.
The carriages came to a halt, rousing the Princess and her maid from their light slumber. Viana overheard murmurs among her knights about large tree trunks blocking the entrance to Elysia.
"..."
Blinking a few times, Viana tried to gather her thoughts, her mind still groggy from sleep.
"Tree trunks? But the path here is narrow, just enough for one carriage to pass. There's no room to turn around..."
As she was still trying to process the situation through her drowsiness, sudden shouts rang out from the left and right sides of the forest.
Viana's eyes widened in alarm, snapping her out of her sleepy haze. Sina, equally alert, moved swiftly to shield the Princess.
"Princess, it's an ambush! Stay inside!" Sina yelled frantically, but Viana leaned out of the carriage window despite the warning.
From her vantage point, she saw her knights locked in combat with the attackers, including Joel and Reyes, battling fiercely.
But after seeing what was happening outside the carriage, she leaned back into her seat calmly. A small smile played on her lips, leaving Sina staring at her in astonishment.
"Relax, Sina. Everything is under control," she said to her maid.
Sina opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it again, retreating nervously to her seat, her face pale.
Not long after, the sounds of battle began to fade, and suddenly, the carriage door was flung open by a stranger neither of them recognized.
The intruder pointed his sword directly at Viana, who merely looked at him with arrogance. He barked at her, "Get down now!"
Viana smirked faintly at the corner of her lips before stepping down from the carriage. Before she descended, she whispered to Sina, "Follow what they want. Don't resist."
Sina stared in shock at the Princess's words, but when she turned to look again, Viana had already stepped out of the carriage. So, Sina followed suit, standing beside Viana, her legs trembling slightly.
Viana's gaze then fell upon her knights, including her two Royal Guards, bound and being led away by several strangers to an unknown direction.
She and Sina were also led in the same direction, their captors handling them with a roughness that occasionally caused Sina to glare at them in defiance.
After approximately thirty minutes of walking, they arrived at an abandoned manor. The building was overgrown with vines, and parts of its structure appeared to have crumbled with age and neglect.